Existing approaches to voicemail delivery and processing have poor usability, lack functionality, and have poor human-computer interaction design. More recent system embodiments have added functionality and addressed some aspects of the usability drawbacks, but they have not addressed the fundamental usability limitations and there remains room for improvement.
Current approaches assume either voice-only access or a full-fledged e-mail application. Voice-only access is the primary reason for the current limitations of existing voicemail system embodiments. Service delivery through voice means that access to stored messages and other interactions may not be random and must be sequential, leading to a cumbersome method of navigating through a voicemail message list and difficulty selecting individual messages. In addition, the limited interface provides limited access to commands and help functions, with the end result that many users are not aware of or know how to use additional functionality, such as replaying messages or accessing caller information.
Access through a full-fledged email application or via current online interfaces may require that the recipient of the message have physical access to a computer to access messages. This requirement makes the messages inaccessible if the recipient is mobile and unable to access a computer.